Epic/ Epic Poem/ Epic Hero

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Transcript of Epic/ Epic Poem/ Epic Hero

Hercules: is the Roman name for the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.Epic/Epic Poem/Epic HeroWhat is an Epic?An Epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero's deedsEpic PoemAn epic poem is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.Epic HeroAn epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand eventsthe hero is outstandingthe setting is largeThe actions described in the work are deeds of great valor, often requiring superhuman strength, intelligence, or endurancesupernatural forces insert themselves in the action, such as gods, angels, and demonswritten in a special stylethe poet remains objectiveThe setting of the work is vast in scope, covering a whole nation, the world, or even the universeConclusionEpic: A long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds.Usually based on historical facts, and told by poets who were master improvisers usually while singing or chanting.

Characteristics of an Epic:• Hero is outstanding.• Setting is large in scope, covering a whole nation, the world, or even the universe.• Actions in the work are deeds of great valor, often requiring superhuman strength, intelligence, or endurance.• Supernatural forces insert themselves in the action, such as gods, angels, and demons.• Written in a special style.• Poet remains objective.• The setting is vast, covering a whole nation, world, or even the universe.• Story usually starts in the middle of the action.

Epic Hero: A brave and noble character in and epic poem admired for great achievements.

Elements of an epic hero:• Often has supernatural abilities.• Charged with a quest and tested to prove their worthiness.• The hero’s travels take them to a supernatural world.• Must reach a low point where the hero is ready to give up or appears defeated.• Resurrection occurs.• Restitution (the hero regains his rightful place on the throne).

Elements of an epic poem:• The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance, and represents a culture’s heroic ideal.• The setting of the poem is ample in scale, and may be worldwide, or even larger. • The action involves superhuman deeds in battle.• In these great actions, the gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or an active part.• An epic poem is a ceremonial performance and is narrated in a ceremonial style which is deliberately distanced from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject matter and the epic architecture.

Epics are based on historical factsEpics were told by oral poets who were master improvisors, able to compose verses in their heads while simultaneously singing or chantingEpics from different languages and time periods do not always have the same characteristics. Characteristics of an Epic include the following:Characteristics of an Epic Long, formal speeches such as challenges, inset narratives, flashbacks, and points of debate occur within the midst of the action; characters are commonly revealed in dialogue.Elements of the Epic StyleElements of an Epic Herooften possessed of supernatural abilitiesthe hero is charged with a questthe hero is tested to prove the worthiness of himself and his questthe presence of numerous mythical beings, magical and helpful animals, and human helpers and companionsthe hero's travels take him to a supernatural worldthe cycle must reach a low point where the hero nearly gives up his quest or appears defeateda resurrection occursRestitution. Often this takes the form of a hero regaining his rightful place on the throneExamples of an Epic:“He who has seen everything, I will make known (?) to the lands.I will teach (?) about him who experienced all things,... alike,Anu granted him the totality of knowledge of all.He saw the Secret, discovered the Hidden,he brought information of (the time) before the Flood.He went on a distant journey, pushing himself to exhaustion,but then was brought to peace.He carved on a stone stela all of his toils,and built the wall of Uruk-Haven,the wall of the sacred Eanna Temple, the holy sanctuary.”- Epic of GilgameshRepetitive, earlier incidents seem to repeat in later incidents, and stock epithets are constantly applied to proper nouns such as "horse-taming Hector". names are often symbolic like Odysseus which means "man of woe" because he is know to give people suffering and also receives suffering himself.“In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself, in a dark wood, where the direct way was lost. It is a hard thing to speak of, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood was, so that thinking of it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death: but, in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there” - “The Divine Comedy” by DanteSpeeches are usually follow by "thus he spoke" to emphasize that the character was the one speaking and not the narrator.“Listen:You have heard of the Danish Kingsin the old days and how they were great warriors.Shield, the son of Sheaf,took many an enemy's chair,terrified many a warrior,after he was found an orphan.He prospered under the sky until people everywhere listened when he spoke.He was a good king!”- BeowulfFamous Modern EpicsCharacters often address each other by patronymics such as "Son of Peleus" aka Achilles.“Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,” - “Paradise Lost” by John MiltonSabrina Brought, Micah Hetrick, and Anna AurandThe opening of an epic usually starts in the middle of all the "action" instead of the beginning and often starts with invocation and an epic question.Examples of Epic Poems:Examples of an Epic Hero:Achilles: a Greek hero from the Trojan WarThe Homeric Poems for the Iliad and The OdysseyPerseus: the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of DanaansOdysseus: also known by the Latin name Ulysses, he was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and a hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. East is East by Rudyard KiplingParadise Lost by John Milton The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance, and represents a culture’s heroic ideal.The setting of the poem is ample in scale, and may be worldwide, or even larger. The action involves superhuman deeds in battle. In these great actions, the gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or an active part.An epic poem is a ceremonial performance and is narrated in a ceremonial style which is deliberately distanced from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject matter and the epic architecture.